One year at a time for Todd

Coach Todd Bowles is not entering his third season on the job looking at it as playoffs-or-bust.

After missing the playoffs in his first two seasons, Bowles said he is not thinking about making the playoffs in 2017 to save his job.

“I don’t worry about returning,” Bowles said Monday. “I just worry about the next year. I’m trying to win games the next year and go from there — 2018 doesn’t matter to me.”

The Jets have gone six years, the last two under Bowles, without a playoff appearance. That is the longest drought for the Jets since 1992-97 and only six NFL teams currently have a longer postseason drought. Bowles said the playoffs are always the objective, whether his job is on the line or not. “As a coach and as a player, you’re in this league to get to the playoffs and get to the Super Bowl. Obviously, that’s the goal,” Bowles said.

The Jets fell woefully short of that goal this season. They finished 5-11 and the season pretty much ended in October after they lost five of their first six games, something they never recovered from, Bowles admitted. “I think we got off to a slow start, going 1-5. I don’t think we recovered from that,” Bowles said. “We didn’t nearly make the plays that we made last year. We made a lot of mistakes — coaches, players, plays, all of the above. We fought hard, but we didn’t fight smart.” There was speculation Woody Johnson could fire Bowles after just two years, but the Jets owner decided to bring him back. Bowles said he never worried he could be fired. “He never gave me the impression or we’ve had the conversation that my job was in jeopardy,” Bowles said. “Obviously, he has the right to change his mind. Woody’s backed me the whole time and I’m proud that he did.” There are many challenges now facing Bowles this offseason. The changes are expected to begin this week to his coaching staff. Offensive coordinator Chan Gailey could be fired along with a number of other coaches. Bowles refused to address the future of Gailey or any of his coaches until he speaks to them this week.

“I don’t think he did very well,” Bowles said of Gailey. “I don’t think I did very well. I don’t think any coach did very well with the record we have.”

Once he gets through with the coaching staff, he and general manager Mike Maccagnan must begin a roster overhaul. It is clear after speaking to players Monday that the changes must affect not only the on-field product, but the locker room as well. Several players spoke about the issues this team had in the locker room this season.

“When you see bad things going on, you almost lose your purpose,’’ receiver Quincy Enunwa said. “When the team doesn’t feel like team then you start doing it for yourself. The losing didn’t help, but it was a mindset that just kind of spread and it wasn’t good.”

Bowles didn’t put much stock in the locker-room issues affecting the season.

“That happens in locker rooms all the time,” he said. “I don’t think that was a problem as far as us winning and losing and playing hard. … To say that that was a problem for us winning and losing, that would be a bad excuse.”

Ryan Fitzpatrick, who likely played his final game with the Jets on Sunday, said the locker-room issues came mainly from losing.

“I just think for everybody in this locker room, losing takes its toll,” Fitzpatrick said. “We put so much time and effort each week into the game plan and so much work in the offseason that it’s tough on everybody when you’re losing games.”